People anxious about catching CV, are you equally worried about being diagnosed with cancer?

[Marcellemouse]

Or is that not something you really think about?

I’m equally concerned about both but I have suspected for some time that I suffer with health anxiety

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk&ved=2ahUKEwjmkNuRzpvsAhXTPsAKHfBEB-gQFjADegQIEBAC&usg=AOvVaw1pyHI277poGfnxRMvj_sNA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk&ved=2ahUKEwjmkNuRzpvsAhXTPsAKHfBEB-gQFjADegQIEBAC&usg=AOvVaw1pyHI277poGfnxRMvj_sNA

1 in 2 of us will be diagnosed with cancer. What are you doing to try to prevent this?

@Marcellemouse that's a nice reply to someone who's just said they have health anxiety

Well yes, obviously.

Of course it’s better to try not to worry. But as HeyMacarona points out,it’s isn’t always easy if you’re an anxious type.

The two are not comparable because you don't catch cancer from someone on the bus like you can catch CV.

I do think about my general health and try to do my best (non-smoker, vegetarian, rarely drink, use sunscreen etc.). Ultimately there are some things I can control and some that I can't, and CV for me is in the category of things I can protect myself from quite well.

I'm concerned about both but in the grand scheme of things, you can't catch cancer because someone else was selfish.

I do sometimes think about it yes. I wear factor 50 suncream on sunny days, I don't (and have never )smoke, I drink but not to excess, I check my breasts regularly, I attend smear tests on time and I'm a healthy weight so I'm not sure what more I can do to help prevent it. My mum died of cancer when she was not much older than me so I guess I might worry about it more than others.

I'd worry a lot more about cancer if it was contagious

It's not an either/or though, is it?

Nasty and goady though.

Of course I worry about this; I lead as healthy lifestyle as I can to reduce my risk, but I also understand the statistics and accept that every time my DNA copies itself the process can go wrong.

But I can't give my vulnerable daughter, ECV 6th former and colleague, and my elderly parents cancer, so it isn't right at the forefront of my mind right now.

Yes and yes.

There's not much you can do to stop yourself catching most cancers though if you're going to get it you will. With COVID there is lots or precautions you can take to try and at least not catch it!

The thing is, I'm doing everything I can to avoid cancer. I don't smoke, don't drink, am losing weight, etc. Whatever I can do, I'm doing it. I'm not overly anxious about it, but I'm trying to avoid it.

The same applies to covid. The difference is in the things we need to do to avoid it. I need to keep my distance from as many people as possible, wear a mask when I can't, etc. I'm also very aware that working in a large secondary school I'm in contact with a lot more people than most, on a daily basis, with no mask wearing in the classroom. And I'm also aware that as a diabetic I have more risk factors than other people my age, and am therefore more at risk of needing hospital treatment. But I'm not terrified, or overly anxious. I'm just doing as much as possible to avoid it, in just the same way as I'm doing as much as possible to avoid all the other illnesses that could put me in hospital.

I’m curious what you’re trying to achieve with this thread? Lots of people try to make lifestyle choices with their long term health in mind. It’s not the same as coronavirus where the threat is more immediate and you can pass it on to your friends and family.

Why are you comparing the two?

You are comparing apples with oranges here. What’s the point?

You could add getting run over by a bus in if you want.

@viccat sums up a lot of what I feel.

The two are very different.

I can only vaguely control my chances of getting cancer, but I don't drink, smoke, eat meat etc. so I feel I do what I can.

Covid is highly infectious, so I am trying not to catch it.

The government isn’t obliging me to prevent getting cancer as cancer isn’t contagious and often genetic.

I was aware of the statistic.

I worry about cancer, as I have had cancer, and am at higher risk of it

I also worry about Covid - mainly my ds catching it, as he has medical vulnerabilities as the result of a rare genetic condition, and I fear how it would affect him.

I'm pretty capable of worrying about both of the above, and a few million other things at the same time.

@Carrotgirl87

I'd worry a lot more about cancer if it was contagious

Yes quite!

I have a severe respiratory illness making me extremely clinically vulnerable to coronavirus. I'm not at all likely to get cancer in the next year but if I get coronavirus I could get very ill and I am among those who are most likely to go to hospital with a full complement of interventions. If it comes to that then I'll see further scarring on my already battered lungs, which we see a further deterioration in the quality of my life.

I've seen a few people today with their masks pulled down smoking. It's so hypocritical to be trying to prevent spreading and catching CV when you're putting yourself and others at risk by smoking. And others that are at increased risk of cancer and other life threatening diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure etc), because of their life choices doing absolutely nothing to mitigate the chances of that, but petrified of dying from CV and leaving their dc.

It not really hypocritical OP, there are laws regarding the wearing of masks that have to be followed by everyone, smoker or not.

So, were you actually interested in hearing answers to your question op, or are we just an audiences to your ranting now?

Maybe smokers are more worried about outcomes due to smoking. The damage can’t be repaired overnight. Worrying is not good for overcoming a smoking addiction so maybe that’s preventing them.